A bubble of gas surrounds U Cam. Image: ESA/NASA
Near the North Celestial Pole, in the constellation of Camelopardalis (The Giraffe), a star shines. The celestial body is a prime example of a carbon star (it contains more carbon than oxygen), but it is so small, that researchers at NASA suggests that it could fit within a pixel. That tiny star is known as U Cam, and it is nearing the end of its life.
As a layer of helium fuses around its core, the celestial body spits a spherical shell of gas [in the image]. The eruption happens every few thousands years, and the Hubble Space Telescope captured that shinning moment recently. NASA researchers suggests that U Cam will die in a few hundred years, so this moment could be considered its last breath.
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